I Used to Dig for Pottery in a Churchyard. Then I Joined a Roman Excavation.

When I was seven or eight, a friend and I used to dig for pottery in our local churchyard near Peterborough. Every piece felt like a historical discovery.

My friend eventually became an archaeologist. I moved to London and built a career in PR and communications. History never stopped fascinating me, though, and more recently it had pulled me toward mudlarking along the Thames. 

That hobby is how I ended up on a Roman excavation with DigVentures, thanks to an opportunity from Nibble.

*This story was created in partnership with Nibble. Holly is a real Nibble user who took part in the "Dig it up!" experience and shared her honest account. Her direct quotes are her own; individual results vary.

• A PR and communications professional from London, originally from near Peterborough, found Nibble's opportunity while browsing a Reddit community about mudlarking.
• The excavation took place at Sacrewell Farm, 15 minutes from her childhood home.
• On her first day, she uncovered a delicate pocket-watch key believed to date back to the 1700s, and she later helped clear the soil around an ancient glass burial vessel.
• Her main takeaway: you don't have to be brilliant at everything to enjoy trying.

The excavation was at Sacrewell Farm, and that made it even more special. I'd visited the farm countless times as a kid. I never imagined what history might be hiding beneath my feet.

"It's not something I'd ever thought I could do. I didn't even know it was an option."

Archaeology turned out to be more physically demanding than I'd expected. There were heavy mattocks and hours of digging, and I came away with a real appreciation for the people who do this work every day.

I didn't realize archaeologists are all secretly super strong underneath their fleeces because they're digging all the time.

The hard work paid off quickly. On my very first day, I uncovered a delicate pocket-watch key, believed to date back to the 1700s, with intricate glass-enameled detailing.

Later I helped clear the soil around an ancient glass burial vessel, then watched as it was carefully lifted from the ground.

The dig changed how I look at familiar places. 

"Now I found myself walking around thinking, 'Could there be a 2,000-year-old glass burial urn underneath here? What is the ground hiding?'"

I'm already looking into returning for another DigVentures excavation with my partner. I'm also keen to find out whether archaeologists uncover the suspected Roman villa in a nearby field.

What the experience showed me is that curiosity doesn't require expertise, just a willingness to follow it:

"It doesn't matter if you're not an expert. You don't have to be brilliant at everything to enjoy trying."

Mudlarking and a Reddit community

My curiosity about the past had already taken me mudlarking along the Thames. While browsing a Reddit community dedicated to the hobby, I came across Nibble's opportunity to join the excavation.

What Nibble is

Nibble is an all-around knowledge app that encourages curiosity and lifelong learning. For me, it was the route to something I hadn't known was possible.

Roman treasure can hide under ordinary fields

Nibble digs into the history hiding right where you live

Dive into History

Nibble has short, bite-sized lessons across 37+ topics, and you can learn by watching, listening, or playing. With 10M+ downloads, it's an easy place to begin with whatever you used to chase as a kid.

Here's how to start:

• Pick the topic you used to chase as a kid and learn a little each day.
• Look for the hobby communities that already exist around it, the way I found mudlarking on Reddit.
• Choose the format that fits your day: watch, listen, or play.
• Keep a streak going so the habit survives a busy week.

Open Nibble, pick a topic, and start with 5 minutes a day.